Leon S. Kennedy is back in Resident Evil Requiem (RE9), and he’s not the fresh-faced rookie anymore! At an older age than in previous titles, this battle-hardened hero teams up with newbie Grace Ashcroft in a creepy hospital near Raccoon City’s ruins. As he makes his return, developers at Capcom have paid special attention to him as he is one of the main protagonists. And for that matter, fans can expect intense action like in RE4, mixed with RE2’s chills. With that, let’s get to know more about Leon in Resident Evil Requiem.
Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil Requiem
Leon S. Kennedy finally returns in Resident Evil Requiem as a playable hero. Set in Rhodes Hill hospital, his parts mix action from Resident Evil 4 remake with horror from Resident Evil 2 remake. And the fans loved his combat style after his last big role. In this one, Leon feels older and tired after 30 years of fighting monsters. He carries pain from past losses like Raccoon City. His voice has more grit, but he keeps his cool sass.
To understand Leon’s role in Requiem, you need to know his partner, Grace Ashcroft. Capcom says clearly that these two heroes play very differently. Grace’s parts stress hiding, puzzles, and saving items. She fights okay with rough melee tools and guns, but she’s new to killing bio-engineered monsters. Leon’s parts hit hard in wild fights and while handling enemy crowds. Moreover, fans would find it interesting to know that Leon has upgraded from a combat knife to a combat hatchet in RE 9.
“[Leon’s hatchet] is another way that the team wanted to show that Leon now has a lot more experience [fighting bio-weapons] than he did in previous games…so that was why they ended up changing the knife to a hatchet.” – Kōshi Nakanishi, Director
How old is Leon in Resident Evil Requiem?
Leon S. Kennedy is 51 years old in Resident Evil Requiem (RE9). He was born in 1977 and first appeared at age 21 in Resident Evil 2 (1998). Resident Evil Requiem is set in 2028, i.e., 30 years later, making him a seasoned veteran. Some fans debate that his age is 47 or 49 based on timeline tweaks, but Capcom confirms 51. As the Director, Koshi Nakanishi confirmed this age in a 2025 Capcom video. He teams up with Grace Ashcroft to battle new horrors near Raccoon City’s ruins. Similarly, many also ask, how old is Leon in Resident Evil 4 and 6? So the answer to this is age 27 and 35, respectively.
“The team gave [Leon aging] a lot of thought. He’s been fighting biohazards since RE2, where he got his sudden start there. Now it’s been close to 30 years of Leon’s life that he’s been doing that. He’s seen a lot of sacrifice, a lot of tragedy. He couldn’t save everyone in RE2 or RE4. He’s seen a lot. He’s been through a lot. So that’s a weight that weighs down on him. You’ll see that Leon that weight is something that the development team wanted to express with Leon’s appearance and personality in Requiem. So you’ll notice he does carry that weight, and he’s maybe a little bit more pessimistic.” – Kōshi Nakanishi, Director
Who is Leon S. Kennedy’s Wife?
Leon S. Kennedy has no wife in the Resident Evil series. Capcom never showed him married to anyone at any point. He is a lone federal agent fighting zombies and bioweapons. Fans ship him with Ada Wong or Claire Redfield, but these are just theories, not canon. Ada is a spy he meets in Resident Evil 2; they share tension, but there was no wedding. And as for Claire, she is a friend from Raccoon City. In games up to Requiem, Leon stays single and focused on missions as his story stresses duty over family.
Which Resident Evil Games Does Leon Appear In?
Leon S. Kennedy appears in several Resident Evil games as a key character, starting from his debut as a rookie cop in Raccoon City. He evolves into a skilled government agent fighting bioweapons across mainline titles, spin-offs, and remakes. His story spans decades, from zombie outbreaks to global bioterrorism threats. Here are all the RE games that he has appeared in:
- Resident Evil 2 (1998 & 2019 Remake)
- Resident Evil 4 (2005 & 2023 Remake)
- Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008 CG film, playable in Gaiden)
- Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009)
- Resident Evil 6 (2012)
- Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (2012, NPC)
- Resident Evil Requiem (RE9, 2026
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